COUNTY PARAMEDIC'S JOB AT STAKE

After concluding a two-month investigation, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue has recommended that a veteran paramedic accused of falsifying medical records in January be fired, officials said on Friday.

In a letter dated Friday, Chief Herman Brice recommended 11-year veteran Kirk D. Escuage, 34, be dismissed for failure to report the mistreatment of a patient; falsification of records; conduct unbecoming a county employee; endangering the health or safety of others; failure to perform the duty of office and violations of other rules and regulations.

Fire-Rescue officials declined to elaborate on what Escuage, of Fort Lauderdale, did to draw such charges.

According to the letter addressed to Escuage, which Brice is expected to sign on Monday, the decision was based on the history of Escuage's performance and the fact that it was the "second occurrence of this nature."

Escuage will have an opportunity to contest Brice's recommendation during a hearing next Friday at the Palm Beach County courthouse, during which details of the investigation will be made public, Fire-Rescue spokesman Nigel Baker said.

Escuage, who has a brother who also works as a county firefighter, has not returned repeated phone calls during the past two weeks. His attorney also did not return calls.

Escuage, who was assigned to the Boca Del Mar Fire-Rescue Station 55 west of Boca Raton, was suspended without pay on Jan. 27, a day after he responded to a medical call on Super Bowl Sunday at the Radisson Hotel in Boca Raton.

Escuage was dispatched from Station 55 on Palmetto Circle North to a report of someone suffering abdominal pain at 9:22 p.m. Jan. 26 and left the scene at 10:10 p.m., records show. The patient was in stable condition, and morphine was used during the call.

The next morning at 2 a.m., Escuage was suspended.

The Sheriff's Office was trying this week to question Escuage in connection with an investigation into a string of morphine thefts at several fire stations since September, including one that occurred while Escuage was on duty.

Sheriff's Detective Bob Erickson, the case investigator, was already investigating one of those drug thefts, at Station 55 on Jan. 2, when the Jan. 26 incident involving Escuage came to his attention.

Sheriff's records show that deputies were told "numerous drug boxes" had been stolen during four drug thefts at Fire-Rescue stations since September, three west of Boca Raton and one at King's Point west of Delray Beach.

The investigation has been broadened to determine whether small vials of morphine listed as "broken" by paramedics were instead stolen.

Erickson said he sensed a "pattern" of problems involving morphine, and broadened his investigation to include the vials and whether they were broken or stolen.

"Right now there is no probable cause to make an arrest. It's an ongoing investigation, and that's all I can tell you," Erickson said. "[Escuage is) one of the people we are investigating."

Although all paramedics on duty at the time of the thefts are under investigation by the Sheriff's Office, Erickson said he lacked the evidence to charge anyone. Fire-Rescue officials said they have turned Escuage's case over to Erickson, whom they were unable to reach late Friday.

Illegal possession of a controlled substance such as morphine is a third-degree felony subject to a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, state attorney spokesman Mike Edmondson said.

While Erickson is investigating the case on the prospect that drugs are being taken for personal use, Brice does not think Fire-Rescue has a drug problem among its employees.

While sheriff's employees must submit to random drug tests, Fire-Rescue policy dictates that tests can be administered only yearly, and only if reasonable suspicion exists.